The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-11
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
GOTHAA'S HOLIDAY GOSSIP BTG
THING Nv FAIRS.
Barn um the Boomer-Mrs. james Brown
Potter in Her GIory-The Lapgtry and
Her Husband-The Pea-Green Postage
stamp Theatricals in the Metropolis.
Especial Correspondence. /

Especial Correspondence
New YORK, December 9, lss7.-f you
uon't believe Christmas is close at hanf,
a walk up Broadway will bring you face TO
face with Old Nick himself In nearly every
establishment, from Tiffsnys to the side
walk fakirs, Santa Claus has unfolded his
treasures, and it is generally conceded by
the ladies that they are more beautiful
and attractive than ever before. II Is
enough 10 make poor man tear his hair
10, see how the money flies. In the matter
of iewelry and bric-a-b rac, the exhibition
in an old.time museum is cold yictuals 10
the show in the shop windows. OF toys
that on Christmas morning will raise
whoop of delight among the youngsters,
the name is legion. IL is a saying that
the trade in TOYS is indicative of the pros
perity OF the country. II this be true
we are evidently on the high road to
wealth. When times are dull the manu-
facturer and the small boy suffer to-
gether.
Notwithstanding a duty Of fifty per
cent, American manufacturers until re-
Gently have been unable 10 compete with
cheap foreign labor in the production Of
gimcracks that fill the paradise OF little
folks. but improved machinery is grad
ually overcoming the difficulty and we
are beginning even to export some of the
results of Yankee ingenuity. Until day
or two ago, didn't know that we pracli.
cally control the top industry OF the
world, and that in the matter of the
deadly toy pistol that has sent TO Heaven
so many youthful Buffalo Bills, We are
away ahead. I learned also that iron is
rapidly superseding tin, so that toy is
no longer liable 20 fall apart while Il is
being wrapped up.
The most popular toys are those that
wind up and give some evidence or lie.
Whether its mouse or monkey, the
average boy will have none of 1t unless
it can move; and the doll that can't open
and shut its eyes and cry hen u has
load on its stomach. is the most useless
piece Of furniture in Mibabi's boudOir
One Of the ingenious novelties represents
an old German quaffng his beer and
holding q long pipe, out Of which he pulls
the smoke with all the content OF i've
cent aristo, rat. Another is the figure OF
circus dancer on horseback and when
the small boy sees him 60 prsncing
around the ring, jumping through hoops,
standing on his head and doing all sorts
Of gymnastic feats, the father OF the
aforesaid will be three dollars out, or
there will be a rumpus In the household
for the rest OF the year.
The biggest local sensation OF the hour
is the Masonic fair, which has been IN
dertaken for the purpose OF building an
ASYLUM for the widows and orphans OF
Masons. You may imagine its success
from the fact that $4,000 season tickets
have been sold al one dollar each, and
that the income from the sales at the Ia /
bles last week alone was upwards or SIS /
600 TO this is TO be added the money /
received from the entertainments, the /
evening" admission fee at the door, aud /
the contributions of the people who can Z /
come. There are -, 900 MasOns IN New /
York and BROOKLYN, and each Mason has I
five in his family, 90 say nothing OF MS .
friends In the conduct OF the iair az /
least one thousand persons are actually T
interested and five hundred work ,hege /
every day. Putting these things together I
70 is safe 20 say ii will knock out OF prom /
inence the recOllectiOns OF any OF It's pre- 7
decessors When the ladies start boom /
it's worth a days travel 20 take its meas /
Speaking about Blooms, that old rat,
Barnum, is on deck again Before The /
ruins had stopped smoking be had the /
newspapers loaded 10 the muzzle, and /
they are now going of with all sorts OF
reports. IL has been telegraphed through
ont the country that the old lady who
butted the lion that visited her hog pen /
on he night of the FIRE has been hired 10 /
travel with "ihe greatest show on /
earth" at a salary Of $50 dollars per I
week, while the number OF ferocious ami /
mails that are travelling in the suberbs OF /
towns and chewing up cattle |
would stock half dozen hrst-class me- I
nageries. There are TWO things that /
Barnum knows all abOut-public gull |
bility and printers Ink. The motto on /
his crest ought 10 be the lrsnsmogriheo /
couplet Of Pope
A little Wing is a dangerous thing.
Go your whole length or never make sprne /
Another expert in the art Of punctur-
ing peoples pockets, although bred |
in a different school from the great
Snowman, is Mrs. james Brown Potter /
From the time she tasted notorieiy by |
horrifying the goody goodies Of Wash /
ington society with the recitation Of
Os,ler Joe, 10 her professional appear
ance in New York with her worth |
clothes, and the creme de u creme for an |
audience, she mas done the act Of " Excel |
sior TO the Queens taste. When they /
ran short Of live copy in the newspa-
per offices during her brief reign here,
and the reporters went 10 the city editors /
for q subject, the usual exclamation was /
a volcanic Oh, dash it, go out and write
up sensation about the Potter JUST
now Harry Miner, her manager, and /
James Barton Key, the personal repre-
sentative Of the actress, are adroiily keep !
ing the pot boiling by what seems 70 |
be a personal quarrel, but the device 20 /
secure free advertising, although success |
full, is exceedingly attenualed. In the |
language Of his immortal grandfather, /
the fag Of James Barton Key is still |
Il.